Fujitsu, Sony and Mitsubishi showcased at the Robodex Forum (in Tokyo on Wednesday) new technology that enables distinct robots to be controlled simultaneously via a computer network. 

The demo featured robots from Fujitsu (the Maron-1, which is pretty similar to a mini-version of the Star Wars famous R2D2), Mitsubishi's Wakamaru (a Jetson's humanoid look-alike - rather tall at 1 meter of height and bulky at 60 lbs.) and Sony (Qrio, the humanoid, and Aibo, a robotic dog, which has been a big hit in Japan since being introduced in 1999).

The robots moved together and introduced themselves sequentially to the audience, with Aibo barking and extending his front paws.  This promotion also served to demonstrate the cooperation among the three vendors, which plan to introduce a "Robotic Service Initiative" in May aimed at boosting home and office usage of robots via a network computer.

Despite the economic slump that Japan is going through, events such as the Robodex Forum show that companies are still investing considerable resources in commercializing and developing services using robots.  From a vertical perspective, the emphasis is expected to be on remote-controlled home services and assistance in medical treatment and nursing care.

The Japanese focus and leading edge in consumer robotics is primarily motivated by economic necessities.  The country is faced with a looming labor shortage, lower birthrates and an aging population.  Therefore, the vendors are hoping that strong robot platforms can capitalize on these factors and become a big success.  Honda, for instance, believes that robotics will be big business in the future, eventually surpassing the PC industry.